Delhi: Peaceful protests against the CAA continued on Friday in several parts of the country amid slogans like “Rainbow against Saffron”, Inquilab aaya hai, Halla Bole and songs like Hum dekhenge.
Delhi saw a unique gathering at Jantar Mantar where women, transgenders, sex workers, street hawkers and domestic workers protested against the CAA, NRC and NPR. Similar protests were held in various parts of the country by these groups to mark the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule and Fatima Sheikh, who fought for women’s empowerment.
Rafiul Alom Rahman, founder of the Queer Muslim project, said over 2,000 transgenders have been left out of the NRC in Assam and there is fear that the numbers will be much higher if an all-India NRC takes place. “The CAA and NRC exclude communities, groups and people and violates the Constitution. The situation of a persecuted minority can be different from that of homosexuals and transgender, and more so if they are Muslims," said Rahman.
Asiya Khatun, a domestic worker living in Nand Nagri, had taken a day off to take part in the protest. She is a Bengali but not Bangladeshi. “Everyone will be impacted with the NRC, not just a few. I have come to show solidarity with people,” she said. Many in the crowd also felt the government is diverting attention from its failures and economic crisis through such laws.
